Looking Forward to Whitman’s 136th Commencement

After years of restricted commencement ceremonies due to the COVID-19 pandemic, family and friends are invited to watch their favorite graduates walk across the stage at Whitman College’s 136th Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 22, 2022.

Whitman’s Class of 2022 boasts more than 350 graduates. Like so many Whitties before them, graduates in cap and gown will walk through campus to the lawn in front of the Memorial Building, where they’ll receive their diplomas from President Kathleen M. Murray, her last commencement ceremony before retirement. 

At the Podium

Whitman welcomes back to campus Steve Hammond ’79, the Emeritus Scientist and volunteer at the United States Geological Survey and this year’s commencement speaker. 

After graduating with a combined degree in geology and mathematics, Hammond went onto a distinguished 40-year career with the Survey. He has served on the Whitman College Board of Trustees and the Presidential Search Committee. During his many visits back to campus, Steve has made it a priority to connect with current students and serve as a mentor. He often meets with Whitman students and families visiting the Washington, D.C. area, where he resides with his wife Charlotte Bibb Hammond (fellow Whitman College Class of 1979).

Representing the Class of 2022 at the podium is Fadia Chehadeh, a biology major and minor in psychology from Beirut, Lebanon. During her time at Whitman, she has served as a senator in the Associated Students of Whitman College, a member of the Future Alumni Leadership Council and the finance committee, and held several positions tutoring as a teaching assistant. Chehadeh plans to attend graduate school next year for a master’s degree in public heath, focusing on epidemiology and specializing in infectious and chronic diseases.

COVID-19 Protocols for the Ceremony

While we are pleased to have spectators at this year’s in-person ceremony, current college policy requires attendees to be vaccinated, boosted and masked throughout the event.

In addition, we will livestream the ceremony so family members who are unable to attend or more comfortable watching from home may cheer on their graduate virtually. The livestream video will be broadcasted in real time.